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Race and Gender Affect Response to Weight Stigma

A new study from the UConn Rudd Center found that Hispanic women were the most likely to engage in disordered eating behavior as a result of experiencing stigma about their weight. (Shutterstock Photo)

A new study by researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at UConn has found that although people of all races and genders are stigmatized for being overweight, there are differences in how particular groups – Asian, black, and Hispanic, and white men and women – respond to that stigma. The study is published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“We found differences both by gender and race,” says Mary Himmelstein, a UConn Rudd Center postdoctoral fellow and the study’s lead author. “Women were more likely than men to blame themselves for being stigmatized, while black and Hispanic individuals were less likely to blame themselves for being stigmatized compared with white individuals.”

Weight stigma can contribute to obesity, as individuals who experience stigma about their weight often cope with this distress by eating and avoiding exercise, increasing the likelihood of weight gain. Weight stigmatization can also impair emotional well-being, contributing to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction.

Despite higher rates of obesity among women and minority populations compared with white Americans, less was known about differences in weight stigma or strategies for coping with weight stigma across gender and racial groups.

The new study highlights the importance of race and gender in people’s experiences of weight stigma, their tendency to blame themselves for this stigma, and the coping strategies they use. The findings hold important implications for understanding how weight stigma experiences and coping strategies for dealing with weight stigma contribute to weight-related health, particularly among individuals who are at higher risk for obesity yet underrepresented in research.

The study involved a national sample of 2,378 American adults (1,539 white, 391 Latino/Hispanic, 308 black, and 140 Asian, with 50.3 percent women). Participants were asked whether they had ever been treated unfairly, discriminated against, or teased because of their weight, and to indicate how they typically cope with these experiences.

Compared to white women, Hispanic women were more likely to cope with stigma by engaging in disordered eating behavior (e.g., bingeing, starving, or purging), whereas black women were less likely to cope by engaging in disordered eating behavior.

These findings suggest that black women may be buffered from some negative health consequences of weight stigma compared to white women, and Hispanic women may be more at risk for health problems relative to white women.

Asian men and women, the study found, are similar to white men and women in coping strategies, weight stigma, and self-blaming for being stigmatized.

“Overall, our results suggest that we need to identify effective strategies for coping with weight stigma, and prioritize increasing racial and ethnic diversity in research on weight stigma,” Himmelstein said. “Failure to meaningfully examine racial identity means missing important and unique experiences which contribute to obesity-related health disparities.”

Study co-authors include UConn faculty members Rebecca Puhl, deputy director of the UConn Rudd Center and professor of human development and family studies, and Diane Quinn, professor of psychological sciences.

Join us for a talk by Gina Barreca,2018 UCONN BOARD OF TRUSTEESDISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

All great works of fiction, poetry and dramaâas well as texts forming mythologies, religions, national epics to heroic sagasâhave loneliness at the heart of their narrative. From Persephone to Peter Pan, from âFrankensteinâ to âFrozen,â the stories we pass along are saturated with unwilling isolation.âOnly around half of Americans say they have meaningful, daily face-to-face social interactions,â according to a 2017 study. A former U.S. Surgeon General argues that âWe live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s.â We need more than social media. We need social contact. We need community. How can we break through the loneliness barrier? Being alone when in need of companionship is more than sad; itâs an epidemic.Chronic loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. We need to change our national story and, often, our personal ones as well.Even the concept of the âlone wolfâ is a myth. Wolves hunt in packs.

Reception to follow.

For more information about this event, or if you are an individual who requires special accommodation to participate, please contact the CLAS Deanâs Office at (860) 486-2713.

A liberal arts and sciences degree prepares students with the tools they need to excel across a wide range of careers. Given the number of options available to you, it can be overwhelming to narrow down career choices. Attending CLAS Career Night will provide you exposure to career opportunities for CLAS students.

This semesterâs focus will be on research-based careers. During this event you will engage with CLAS alumni, learn about various occupations, and gain insight about how to best prepare for your future career.

The McNair Scholars Program and the Office of Undergraduate Research invite you to join us for a brown bag research seminar.

Birds, Bacteria, and Bioinformatics: Why Evolutionary Biology is the Best

Sarah Hird, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular and Cell Biology

This series is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, and is designed especially for students conducting (or interested in conducting) STEM research. These seminars are opportunities to learn about research being pursued around campus, to talk with faculty about their path into research, and to ask questions about getting involved in research.

About CLAS

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the academic core of learning and research at UConn. We are committed to the full spectrum of academics across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. We give students a liberal arts and sciences education that empowers them with broad knowledge, transferable skills, and an ability to think critically about important issues across a variety of disciplines.